Friday 3 February 2012

Book Review Regarding "Justice or Jungle: Selected Poetry in XLIV Chambers"

On January 2012, in Europe, at "Rruga e Arbërit" newspaper, journalist Sakip Cami has published a book review regarding Justice or Jungle: Selected Poetry in XLIV Chambers with author Elliott Moglica.

Whereas, the book review, as published in the original language, can be found on "Rruga e Arbërit" newspeper, January 2012, nr. 1(69), at page 13 ("News" page).

And hereby, the enclosure link can direct readers to the original version.

Hereunder, readers can find a full translated version in English:

'Justice or Jungle'
Book Review Regarding The Volume With The Same Title

The author could not have imagined that in Canada, as in Albania after 1990 years, you can find doctors of sciences working as taxi drivers, designers selling meat, painters as dish washers, philosophers catching fish.

Protection of human rights, anywhere in the world, is an essential topic on the nowadays, for the mere fact of the resurrection of new dictatorships and dictators of type as Milosevic, Hussein, Gedaf, Mubarak, etc. And finally the ghastly and infamous of these dictators, who stayed for decades on power in the name of democracy and free elections, did not make to reflect the politicians and bankers of the world today, who have plunged their countries into unprecedented economic and financial crises unseen since the early 30th of the XXth century.

Recently the Albanian-Canadian poet Elliott Moglica has published and put into circulation, in Canada and Albania, the volume Justice or Jungle in English.

What it’s immediately noticeable is the fact that though the author has fled Albania for years he raises an apparently universal concern for the triumph of justice. The author opens the book with Einstein saying, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." And for coincidence or wonder Albania and the entire Albanian nation has suffered for decades from mediocre leadership and mediocre thinking. Furthermore, the author in the preface says that losing is nothing, but allowing the justice and judges to juggle with laws is a jungle. It is not necessary to draft laws, while playing with them.

The author has studied in law, protection, linguistics and his cause is not compatible with jugglers of justice that have spread all over the world today, and among them Albania, with events like those of Gerdec and 11 January that continue not to find justice.

Napoleon Bonaparte, this genius military leader, says that pen is the strongest weapon, that’s why Elliott Moglica has chosen the pen, poetry, and book - to protest against these injustices without end, on the world where we live.

In the first poem that opens the volume with the title "Tomorrow," author writes about: "[....] Them who today are juggling with my future, perhaps tomorrow with yours." It is unfortunate that many emigrants left Albania to ensure a better life, because they did not find it in their native country. The good life was not found either in the places where they went. They [immigrants] searched for justice, better lives, and demanded honest work in their birth-country, but did not find them. They could not find any of them in the places where they went, too. “Don’t you tell me what I have seen!/ Don’t you tell me what I can hear!/ Don’t you ask me: “What do you dream?”/ Don’t you ask me: “Why don’t you cheer!” - writes the author.

The author could not have imagined that in Canada as in Albania after 1990 years, you can find doctors of sciences working as taxi drivers, designers selling meat, painters as dish washers, philosophers catching fish.

In the poem “Chamber XIV” the author protests against them who want to destroy the truth; them who want to immerse the truth deep in the basin without end - from where no one can take it out. But a popular saying says: "The truth sinks, but is not drained; the truth delays, but never forgets." No one will enjoy what they do not deserve, what they robbed from others. Evil doings against others stays alive even after several generations and one day will turn against them who did them, but the worse part is when they will inherit to their children, grandchildren and nieces. No wealth can grow on the tears of mothers of victims of the Gerdeci incident; no rise on political and administrative career - over the tears of victims of January 21 - because souls will never rest in peace in this world and the hereafter.

The author, also, protests against the Conservative Government of Canada for its discriminatory position against immigrants. Immigrants are those who bear heavy manufacturing jobs in this country and to respect their rights is an honour and a duty of any government.

Protection of human rights, anywhere in the world, is an essential topic on the nowadays, for the mere fact of the resurrection of new dictatorships and dictators of type as Milosevic, Hussein, Gedaf, Mubarak, etc. And finally the ghastly and infamous of these dictators, who stayed for decades on power in the name of democracy and free elections, did not make to reflect the politicians and bankers of the world today, who have plunged their countries into unprecedented economic and financial crises unseen since the early 30th of the XXth century.

It is time for reflection. It is time for justice. This is the appeal of the book of the Albanian-Canadian poet Elliott Moglica.

Written by: Sakip Cami
Poet and publicist
(Translated by: B.Gj)